Superheroes
by ShindouShuichi101
Summary: Rin and Haruka have been best friends since the beginning of time. Rin was the saviour, Haruka was the confidant. They grew up side by side, inseparable, and now as older teenagers comes the time where they're both beginning to know better. They say ignorance is bliss, but knowledge undeniably gives power to this childhood friendship. Mature themes, language, maleXmale, AU, fluff.
1. Chapter 1

Blah blah blah homosexual relationships don't read if you don't like blah blah blah mature themes and language blah blah disclaimer Free! belongs to KyoAni and not me blah you know the drill. Enjoy!

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"I am not wearing tights, Rin."

Rin Matsuoka balled up his fists and growled low in his throat. His skin turned red and he clenched his eyes shut. "Haruka, you promised. They can't get a new superhero by tomorrow!" He ran his fingers through his brownish reddish hair and flashed his red eyes at his best friend of twelve years. "Don't dick around with me, okay?"

"You didn't say anything about tights, Rin. Purple tights, Jesus." Haruka Nanase held up the offending pair of garments and raised one eyebrow at Rin. "It's embarrassing." His 5'9 frame carried a fatless 138 pounds with the grace of a bobcat, and his short, straight black hair glistened in the luminescent light in Rin's room. He chuckled and dropped the tights on his bed. He looked up at Rin with his ocean blue eyes and shook his head. "Uh uh."

Rin was built similarly to Haruka, and came up to a complete 6'. He sprang up onto Haruka's bed and grabbed the front of his faded t-shirt. "Dammit, Haruka, you can't do this! My sister has put a month into this, and I am not gonna let you screw it up for her! Please tell me you're not that much of a prick."

Haruka wrapped one arm around Rin's waste and effortlessly lifted him off the bed. "Dude, it's snowing outside. I don't want my bed wet, okay?" He set Rin on the floor and straightened his shirt. "Why is it so important to embarrass the shit out of me?"

"You spent most of the summer in a speedo at Seijuurou Mikoshiba's pool, Haru. You might as well have been naked. Now you're getting embarrassed because you have another opportunity to show off your perfect body? The same body you work out on with those damn weights every day? Help me out here." Rin threw his arms up in frustration. "The kids aren't looking at you in purple tights, they're seeing Captain Saturn."

"Do you have to wear tights?" Haruka's eyebrows knotted together, and he picked up the purple suit again.

"My costume is exactly like yours but blue. If you want, I'll put mine on and show it to you, and you can try yours on, okay?" Haruka nodded, and Rin rummaged through the bags he'd brought with him. "Here's your cape and mask, and here's mine. See? They're identical." He lifted up his blue tights for Haruka to see. "They're not really tights, they're spandex."

"A silver cape. Where did Gou find chrome material?" Haruka held up his cape, inspected, then looked down at the other items. "What's the chrome underwear for?"

"I'll show you." Rin caught the door with his foot and closed it and started to undress. They had seen each other naked a hundred times, and there was never any self-consciousness. He stripped naked and started pulling the body suit on.

"I can't wear underwear?" Haruka asked, looking irritable.

"You can, but it looks like shit." Rin slid the suit up around his waist and jumped a couple of times to get it to stretch over his shoulder. "That's what the silver shorts are for." He finished with the other shoulder and turned his back towards Haruka. "Do up the zipper, would you?"

Haruka reached out to pull up the zipper and stepped back, eyeing Rin critically. Rin raised his arms and turned in a circle once. "See, it makes you look even more buff than you already are." Rin said, running his hand over his stomach.

Haruka nodded and pulled his t-shirt off. The truth was that if Rin had asked him to run down Main Street naked he would have. He just wouldn't like it any more than he liked dressing up in a purple suit. He undid his pants and slid them and his briefs down at one time. He just wanted Rin to know he didn't like it, that's all.

Rin pulled on what looked like chrome briefs with no fly and slid on the boots, black country snow boots that were painted silver and covered the calves. As he tied the cape at his neck, he looked up and noticed Haruka trying to get the suit up on his extremely muscular legs. "Need help?"

"Uh, I think my legs are too big." Haruka mumbled. He blushed when Rin moved around the bed, got behind him, and began to tug upward on the suit. It was working, but it was also embarrassing.

"Pull the front up," Rin instructed and reached from behind to lift the suit up. In the process he brushed the tip of Haruka's cock with the back of his hand. "Sorry."

"I can get it." Haruka said quietly and stepped forward. He was having a hard time controlling a physical reaction that had started when Rin had stripped. Haruka's deepest darkest secret was the level of feeling and caring he had for Rin, and he'd kept it buried and safe for years. To Rin and the world he was a moody jock, and he wanted to keep it that way. He tried to get the arms up to his shoulders, but Rin had to help again, and the feel of the smooth fabric against his crotch was hard to take.

"There." Rin reached up and zipped it up for him. "Man, Haruka, you ought to wear that over to Chigusa Hanamura's. Then she'd really notice you." He couldn't help but notice that Haruka had gotten a little swollen in the manhood department and politely didn't notice.

"Fuck Chigusa Hanamura." Haruka muttered. "She's nasty." He pulled on the silver shorts, relieved that they sort of hid his semi. After pulling on the boots, he tied the cape around his neck. Rin handed him a dark purple mask and put his blue one on. Haruka stepped in front of his full mirror behind the door and looked himself over. Rin stepped behind him, and almost at the same time, they put their fists on their hips.

They busted out laughing. "Haru, you look so fucking cool. I think Captain Saturn is my new favorite superhero." Rin said and reached up to adjust Haruka's cape, and then leaned his head on his shoulder. "I owe you for this, man. Anything, just ask."

"Dude, look at the definition. No wonder Superman wore these." Haruka smiled and rubbed his stomach, but was looking at Rin's reflection. He sighed and turned away from the mirror. "So what time does this all start?" He let the jock persona slide back into place and pulled the mask off.

"Gou's picking us up from school at nine thirty." Rin kicked off his boots and untied the cape.

"What's the use of going for one hour?" Haruka laid his cape on the bed and reached behind his neck for the zipper. "If we're off the rest of the day, why not sleep in?"

"Did you get your assignments?" Rin asked. He had taken it up as his personal responsibility to see Haruka finish school, despite the indifference of his father. His dad drove a truck and was gone ninety percent of the time. Haruka shopped for groceries, paid the bills, and with an occasional prod from Rin kept the house clean.

"Did you tell me to?" Haruka slid the spandex suit off and scratched his legs. "Yes, mother, I did."

"Don't get pissy, I was just asking." Rin tossed his suit on the bed and reached for his sport briefs. "Are you coming for pizza? Gou said not to take no for an answer."

Haruka shook his head and pulled on his underwear. "I was gonna chill on the couch and watch the tube. Wanna stay over and play PS2?" He kept his eyes off of Rin's body with an act of will. Sometime over the last year, he'd suddenly started noticing Rin, and even fantasizing about him, and it shamed him. He didn't want to be like that, but he couldn't help it.

"Sure, she should be fine alone for the night. If she asks, I'll tell her I'm dealing with your stage fright." Rin finished dressing and grabbed his book bag off the floor. "Get your homework done, and I'll be back in an hour or so." Rin waved and walked out the door.

"Yeah, dude, I will." Haruka watched out the window as Rin got in his car and fell back on his bed and blew his breath out through puffed cheeks. He looked over at his torn and threadbare jeans and decided it was too much effort to put them back on. Instead, he sat up and took a pair of sweats out of the dresser and pulled them on.

His mind replayed over and over the sight of Rin's slim muscular body with no clothes on. He closed his eyes and pressed his fists into his eye sockets, trying to think of anything else and failing miserably. He knew his feelings were not right, and it tore him up inside.

Rin had rescued him after his mother had died of cancer. They had gone to preschool together, then elementary school, and in the summer of their fourth grade year, Haruka's mother had gotten sick and died in just a few months.

At the time, his father had been working at a company that did short hauls, and he was home at night with Haruka. For years, the had suffered his father's anger over his wife's death, and by the time he was twelve, suicide was his every thought.

All through this, Rin, who'd been given the much loved nickname, Jaws, by Haruka's mother, was Haruka's constant companion. They played together, swam together, ate together, and slept over at Rin's house constantly. Hence Rin became the perfect sidekick.

Rin had noticed his friend's deepening depression and had gone to his mother, nearly in tears because his dearest friend looked so terrible and was so depressed. Without making it obvious, Haruka sort of ended up being her other son.

Rin's mother talked with Haruka's father often and helped with dental appointments, clothing purchases, and other items he couldn't get done. Haru's dad, being a person of rare genius, took this as a sign that he could now take longer hauls for more money, and Haruka would be fine with the Matsuoka family. He didn't give a thought to dumping his son on the neighbors for a week at a time.

Haruka clearly remembered the night of his fifteenth birthday, and the no-show by his dad. He tried as hard as he could, but he couldn't stop from crying during the party the Matsuoka family threw for him. Rin had caught him and moved him out of the limelight to get a hold of himself, and he had opened the floodgates on Rin's shoulder.

Rin had just held him without saying a word. No expectations, no blame or guilt. At that moment, a much thinner and more vulnerable Haruka made several decisions without realizing it. The first was that he adored Rin Matsuoka and always would. The second was that he would bury that and all feelings as deep as he could and never be hurt again. The third was that his father would never be what he wanted him to be.

Sounded good, but reality bites hard. As he lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling, recalling how he'd almost gotten a hard on in front of his best friend, his mind spun back into that black depression that was only lifted by Rin's presence.

~~~ ๏ ~~~

Rin pulled his aging Subaru wagon into the carport and thanked whatever god that was listening for four-wheel drive. Granted, it was only a hundred yards to Haruka's, but the snow was deep and getting deeper. He wished he'd brought the car home instead of stopping first. It would've been easier to walk back. He plugged in the Christmas lights as he went in the house.

"Rin, is that you?" His sister called from the kitchen as he opened the door. Their parents, working upper-middle-class jobs as businesspeople, were currently on travel. This only happens several times a year, but when it does, Rin is sure to bask in the peace and tranquility of having the house _somewhat_ to himself.

"Yes, _mum_." He tossed his coat over the chair and headed that way.

"Hang your coat up and get in here, buttface."

He chuckled and turned back, hung the coat up, and headed for the kitchen again. "That psychic routine would get you on Leno, Sis." He kissed her cheek and snatched two fresh cookies from the pile she was building.

"Rin, those are for the kids tomorrow!" She waved her hands at him. "Sit down and behave. Did the costumes fit?" She looked up at him with the same intense red eyes he had. Gou was only a year or two younger than her brother, but their mother had taught her the importance of staying true to traditional womanliness while developing a sense of self encouraged by modern society. Thus, Rin's little sister followed her mother in cooking, cleaning, overall housekeeping, and especially keeping her brother in check, which compromised Rin's privilege to boss her around.

"It would've been easier to pull teeth than to get dolphin boy into it." Rin said around a mouth full of cookie. "They fit fine. God, he looks just like the comic book character. It's weird."

"I really appreciate you two doing this, that reading program means a lot to me. Our school donated two hundred comics, and mum called and told me this afternoon that her company's willing to donate more." Gou finished spooning dough onto a pan and put it in the oven.

"Hah, that's pretty awesome. How are she and dad doing?"

"Pretty well, for the most part. Busy of course, but they're good." Gou slid off her oven mitts after closing the oven and set them on the counter, then proceeded to set the timer. "I ordered two large pizzas. Is Haru coming?"

"Can I take one to his house and stay the night? He's having one of those events again and wants to stay there." Rin grabbed another cookie. "I think it's because of Christmas and all that."

"It's gotta be hard on him, Rin. Imagine how he feels."

"I don't have to imagine, Gou, I can see it." He stood up and headed downstairs to his room. His family's house was set up to perfectly suit Rin's tastes. It was a split entry with two bedrooms and a bath upstairs; and a family room, den, bedroom, and full bath downstairs. As ranking child of a whopping two, he got the downstairs one.

His room was actually half under the driveway, and the ceiling was eight inch thick concrete. One large window looked out into the backyard, and was currently drifted almost completely with snow. He headed for the bathroom door next to the window and started the shower. This far from the water heater it took a minute to warm up.

His queen-sized bed occupied the middle of the longest wall underneath the driveway side with two heating vents directly over it that didn't help worth a damn. During the summer, the concrete kept his room cool even when it was way hot. Winter was an entirely different story.

Between his bed and the window was a computer desk, paid for entirely out of his own money. He worked part time at the library thanks to his mother's influences, and as a result of fortune and a CD burner, had all of the software he ever wanted.

The wall directly opposite the window held two large closets side by side. One contained summer stuff, and the other winter stuff. Rin's other passion was clothes, and the closets were close to full.

He stripped and threw his clothes in the hamper and grabbed his robe, an enormous terry cloth with a huge collar that could fit two people easily. He loved it. The water was finally hot when he went back into the bathroom.

As he washed, his mind continued to replay Haruka's behavior over the last few months and especially today. Even by Haruka's standards, he was off. If he had a girlfriend or something, Rin could understand, but if he wasn't with Rin, he was alone in that run down house.

Rin didn't have time for girls. Their idiotic simpering and primping drove him nuts, and he asked his mother hundreds of questions about their behavior. His mom was his second best friend right after Haruka (followed by his sister, of course!), and usually could explain things to him. He told her once that he thought the male form and body were much more attractive, but that he thought most guys were even more self involved than girls.

He didn't need a relationship anyway. He had a full time job watching after Haruka, who was his amigo, his sparring partner, his champion of justice, and was gorgeous.

Whoa, where did that come from? Rin scrubbed the soap out of his eyes and coughed on the spray from the shower. What the hell was he thinking? The image of Haruka standing in his room naked while he put on the costume was fresh in his mind, and he was shocked to look down and find himself hard as a rock.

Rin had Internet access, and had downloaded several images that provided what he thought of as nocturnal stimulus. Two or three nights a week, he would yank himself into bliss thinking about those JPEGs. Now, standing under the shower, he had a creepy feeling crawl up his spine, and he turned off the water in a hurry and grabbed his robe.

~~~ ๏ ~~~

"C'mon, c'mon!" The computer took forever to fire up, and his fingers flashed over the keyboard. He found the program and file, and began flipping through his pictures. The creepy feeling got worse. Every one of those that he thought of as his favorites bore a very striking resemblance to Haruka. Same swimmer's build, same smooth body, and most had short dark hair. He shuddered involuntarily.

Did he love Haruka, well, in a different sort of way? He thought back on their times together and on how he liked when Haruka would lay on the floor to play PS2 and Rin would lay his head on Haruka's stomach. He was always in physical contact with Haruka, and though he wasn't very touchy with his family, he hugged Haruka a lot.

Haruka hugged him back, too. He could remember sitting in this chair and looking up car parts for Haruka over the Internet. Haruka came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Rin's shoulders and squeezed gently. Far too much contact for a jock. Wasn't it?

"I am so fucking stupid." Rin muttered and shut off the monitor. "No wonder I didn't want to go to prom. . ." He stood up and dropped the robe on the floor and headed to the dresser. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirrors on the closet doors and stopped, seeing himself through different eyes.

According to his self-esteem, Rin was nowhere near as attractive as Haruka, but Rin was well built like him. He worked out with Haruka on the weight bench twice a week, and his chest and shoulders were strong. His waist was slender, his six-pack well defined, and his legs were cut. There was no hair on his body except for the tiniest line from his belly button to his pubic hair, and a little fuzz on his legs mostly darkened by the sun.

He studied himself for another minute and then turned to dress, his thoughts running around and around. Was he imagining stuff, or was he really onto something? He'd always considered the possibility that he was gay or bi, but Haruka - dare he think the term - the moderate tsundere? Was that all an act?

What would happen to them if they found out? Rin knew a lot of people that had blown friendships over lesser issues. He pulled on a pair of sport briefs and a white and blue zip up Nike shirt. His jeans from today were still clean, so he wore those again.

His thoughts were clouded and dark as he went back up into the kitchen. His sister was pouring herself a cup of Darjeeling tea when he entered. "Hey Rin, you can take that pizza on the dining table over there," she gestured with her chin. "It's half and half."

"Sweet! Thanks, Sis! See you tomorrow, be safe!" Rin picked up the pizza and headed out, grabbing his coat as he went. The snow was almost seven inches deep as he ran across the street and down the block.

~~~ ๏ ~~~

"Hey, dumbass." He called out as he opened the door. Neither of them had knocked before entering in years.

"Hey, dickweed." Haruka looked up from the TV and stubbed out a cigarette. "Did you see the news?"

"No, and I thought you were going to quit." Rin tossed his coat behind the door and walked over to put the pizza in Haruka's lap and his icy hands on Haruka's neck, causing him to cringe.

"Christ, don't you own any gloves?" Haruka jumped off the couch and went to the kitchen for plates.

"Yeah, they're in your room on the floor." Rin threw himself on the couch and folded his legs under him. "What was on the news?"

"There's like this massive warm front behind the snow storm we're in. It's supposed to rain tomorrow night and Friday." Haruka came out of the kitchen and handed a plate to Rin with three slices of pizza on it. "They think we could have a flood."

"Come on, our town is up on a hill. We'll be fine." Rin tore into his pizza and watched the television.

"Man, don't get all choked up or nothin'." Haruka shook his head and shoved Rin over. "I have friends in town and so do you."

Rin pushed himself up and flashed a grin. "Next I guess I'm supposed to feel my heart bleed for every kid in Cambodia, right? Gimme a break, Flipper. I didn't tell 'em to live by the river."

"You're such a dick." Haruka chuckled and bit into his pizza.

When they were done, Rin put their favourite superhero film in the DVD player, X-Men. Haruka popped some microwave popcorn and sat at the end of the couch with his legs splayed out. He tossed kernels in the air and caught them while Rin got the movie started.

Halfway through the movie, Rin went to the bathroom. When he got back, he took a new seating position and stretched out on the couch, resting his head on Haruka's leg. This wasn't unusual behavior, and Haruka never said a word. What was unusual was the war of feelings that they were both experiencing.

Haruka's mind wandered away from the movie, and without realizing it, he began to gently stroke Rin's hair. He sighed quietly and went to take a drink of his soda, and only then did it occur to him what he was doing. He jerked his hand away.

"Don't stop, it feels good." Rin mumbled. His cheek and mouth were smushed from lying in Haruka's lap, and his eyes were closed. He was totally relaxed from the sensation of Haruka's caresses.

"I didn't know I was doing it." Haruka said lamely. "Sorry."

"It feels good, Haru. Keep doing it." Rin felt the fingers start through his hair again, hesitantly at first, and then more confidently. He breathed in deeply and let it out, a slight smile forming on his lips.

"How come stuff like this doesn't bother you?" Haruka asked quietly, studying Rin's face. "I mean, most guys freak out when another guy touches 'em."

"You're not any other guy. I guess it depends on who's touching, doesn't it?" Rin reached out and rubbed the part of Haruka's shin where the sweat pants had ridden up. "I can't think of anyone else I'd let do this except my mum and Gou."

"You're not freaked out?" Haruka asked. Carefully, he added rubbing the back of Rin's neck to the motions.

"Not really. I don't think you could freak me out." There, he'd said it, and he had to force himself to keep his breathing even. Rin waited for the bomb he'd just dropped to sink in, hoping he hadn't gone to far.

"Wanna bet?" Haruka mumbled miserably. He sighed again and let his hands get slightly braver. He slid it under Rin's collar and rubbed his shoulder, getting a low grunt and moan from Rin. "You like that?"

Rin suddenly pushed himself up on his knees and met Haruka's eyes almost defiantly. He pulled his t-shirt up and off, smiling as it hit the floor. "Yeah, I do." He lay back down on his chest and put his head in Haruka's lap, dangling his arm off so he could reach and rub Haruka's leg again.

Haruka's heart thudded in his chest. He didn't dare get his hopes up, but at the same time he was receiving some crazy signals from Rin. He went back to running his fingers through Rin's hair with one hand and rubbing all over his back with the other, entranced by the feeling.

"You're trembling." Rin smirked but kept his eyes closed.

"I can't help it. Sorry." Haruka said. Even his voice sounded funny to him. Rin rolled onto his back and looked up at him. There was a strange smile on his face, and he reached up and stroked Haruka's cheek.

"Why are you nervous, Haru?" Rin thrilled at being able to touch Haruka's face like this. "Do you want to stop?" Haruka shook his head and closed his eyes, his free hand running slowly across Rin's chest and down to his stomach.

Rin swallowed hard and blew off his fear. He leaned up and pulled himself into Haruka's lap and put his arms around his neck. "I think I know what you want, Haru. . . and I want it, too." The concept of time seemed to diminish as he leaned in very carefully and kissed Haruka on the lips, lightly at first, and then passionately.

When they parted, Haruka had a pained expression on his face and his eyes were watering up. He had to swallow hard before he could speak. "I don't know what to do." He whispered. "I'm afraid."

"You?" Rin looked him in the eye and smiled gently. "Haruka, you're not afraid of anything. You're my protector." He laid his head on Haruka's shoulder and sighed. "You've always been there for me."

"What happens now, though? What if we're not friends?" Haruka was having a hard time with the scattered feelings in his chest. He wrapped his arms around Rin and hugged him tightly. "I need you to be there, man. You're my rock, you know?"

Rin caressed his cheek and looked up at him. "Nothing has to happen if we don't want anything to, Haru, but I really want this. It doesn't have to hurry and happen tonight." He closed his eyes and settled against Haruka. "It'd be cool if this lasted forever."

"I don't want to be gay." Haruka choked out and his chest heaved. "I never wanted this. It's not normal. I feel wrong." He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Rin, I've felt this way about you for a long time and I can't take it any more. It's killing me."

Rin turned to face Haruka and looked from one eye to the other. "Why is it wrong for me to love you, Haruka? Who says it's wrong?"

"Everybody hates fags, you know that." Haruka sniffed and looked away, horrified. "Oh my God, we're fags!" He hissed.

"Stop it!" Rin snapped. "Look at me, Haruka." Slowly he did, and Rin felt anger building in him. "What's changed, Haruka? Do you feel any different about me now than you did a week ago? Be honest." Haruka shook his head and looked down. Rin reached over and tilted his head up and met his eyes. "Haruka, I feel like an idiot because it took me so long to figure out how I felt. I never wanted to be with anyone else because I always compared them to you."

Haruka smiled. "Me too." He cleared his throat and reached out to put his palm on Rin's chest. "I don't care what they think of me, but I don't want to see you hurt, man."

Rin put his hand over Haruka's and held it over his heart. "They can't ever hurt me with you standing behind me, big guy. Ever." He leaned forward and kissed Haruka on the lips and gently used his tongue to pry Haruka's mouth open. It was much easier this time.

Before long, Haruka had his t-shirt off and they had progressed into a proper make out session. Haruka finally had to break away to catch his breath. "God, I wanted that for so long." He carefully shifted Rin off his chest and rolled off the couch. "I have got to take a leak. Sorry." He grinned and ran down the hall.

Rin pushed his heavily tousled dark hair out of his face and sighed. So far the kissing and petting thing had been better than he ever imagined. Until tonight, the thought of having some girl pawing at him gave him the creeps, but Haruka, Christ, did that light up his nerves.

Haruka came back and plopped on the couch, putting his feet on the battered coffee table. He lit a cigarette and leaned back, holding his arm up for Rin to snuggle up.

"Man, I'm not going to kiss that." Rin waved his hand in front of his face. "That shit stank."

"I promise I'll brush my teeth." Haruka exhaled towards the ceiling. "Dude, do you know it's almost 2 in the morning? What time do we have to be at the first school?"

"I told Gou we'd meet her at the school at nine." Rin yawned and settled into Haruka's side. "I left the costumes here. We can just put them on in the morning and head out."

"Ready for bed?" Haruka asked and then looked stricken. "Uh, are you sleeping in the bed?"

"Don't I always?" Rin looked up at Haruka. "Why?"

"Well, things are different now." Haruka said quietly. "I don't know if I'm ready for a lot of different."

Rin smiled and rubbed Haruka's bare chest. "Haruka, it's not a rule that we have to have sex because we kissed. Maybe it will happen and maybe it won't, but it doesn't have to be tonight." He stood up and held out his hand. "C'mon, you can just hold me tonight. Is that okay?"

"I think I'm gonna like that." Haruka smiled and allowed himself to be pulled up. He followed Rin towards his room. "Thanks, Rin."

"For what?" Rin pulled back the covers and got the double bed ready.

"For not making me rush or anything." Haruka pulled off his sweats and tossed them in the corner. He usually slept in his briefs.

"Go brush your teeth or I won't kiss you goodnight." Rin pointed at the door. After Haruka left the room, Rin slid his jeans and socks off and followed Haruka to the bathroom. They both had toothbrushes at each other's houses and had for a long time.

Haruka made room at the sink for him and looked at their reflections in the mirror standing side by side. He put his free arm around Rin's waist and hugged him. They finished up, rinsed the sink, and headed for the bedroom.

An hour later, with his arm around Rin's waist, Haruka stared at the shadows on the wall. He was so tired that his eyes burned but, he couldn't get to sleep. It felt so good to be cuddled up to Rin's back, and to have his arm around him. Rin's deep even breaths were soothing, but he just couldn't fall asleep.

He knew the world had changed, and it scared him. A lot of the respect that he got a school was from his reputation as a jock and as someone who'd beat someone else's ass for looking at him wrong. It would be hard to maintain that.

Rin had a reputation for being a flirt and a ladies' man, although Haruka doubted he knew or even cared. A lot of Rin's friends were girls, and it made Haruka very uncomfortable to be competing with them.

What really ground on his mind was regret. He realized about five minutes after Rin had fallen to sleep that he really wished they'd tried sex. He groaned and closed his eyes, sliding his hips back so Rin couldn't feel what was poking out between them.

God, this was all so confusing.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED. DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN ψ(｀∇´)ψ


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the long wait! Summer's been pretty busy and stuff, you know how it is. x: Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: Free! rightfully belongs to KyoAni.

* * *

"C'mon, Rin. Robin never ignored Batman when he told him to get up." Haruka pulled the comforter and sheets off the bed, leaving Rin shivering on the mattress in his underwear.

"Robin never stayed up all night making out with you." Rin grumbled and sat up, hugging himself. "Jesus Christ, does the furnace work?"

"The power's out." Haruka tossed the covers back on the bed. "It's cool, though. I woke up quarter to seven like I always do. We're not late. I made a fire and put coffee in the silver pot on the hearth. I'm gonna hit the shower."

"There's still hot water?" Rin grabbed the robe he'd gotten Haruka last year for Christmas, wrapped himself up, and followed Haruka out of the room.

"Yeah, I guess it doesn't need electricity, or maybe it hasn't been off very long." Haruka went into the bathroom and closed the door.

Rin got a mug from the cabinet and went to the fireplace to pour himself some coffee. He sat on a pillow near the fire, slowly letting the caffeine soak into his system. He hated mornings with a passion; he intended to find a career that didn't require getting up early when he graduated. Anything so he could sleep in.

He was almost awake when he heard the bathroom door open, and he turned to see Haruka coming down the hall wrapped in a towel. The sight of such a beautiful body and face, every muscle moving under the skin, made him smile and chuckle - giggling was for girls.

"What?" Haruka returned a dopey grin. He was brushing through his hair when he saw Rin's expression and stopped.

"I like waking up with you." Rin stood up and handed the mug of coffee to Haruka. "I've been watching you do your morning thing since I was in pre-school, and I never noticed how gorgeous you are."

". . . Thanks." Haruka blushed and looked at the floor. "You know, I was real worried that you'd hate me if you found out, you know. . ."

"That you loved me?" Rin leaned over and gently butted Haruka's forehead with his own. "Dork, I already knew that. I just didn't know how much."

Haruka closed his eyes and nuzzled Rin, smiling at the warm, intimate contact he was making with his partner in crime. "I don't think you're supposed to call people you're in love with a dork."

"I have to shower, Batman." Rin and kissed Haruka on the lips and then headed down the hall to the bathroom. When he came out, Haruka was pulling on his silver boots and had on his purple spandex suit, but hadn't been able to zip it up. Rin did it for him and went to the bed for his suit.

"It's a lot easier if you wait until you're completely dry." Haruka said sheepishly. "It's a bitch to pull up when you're wet."

"Got it. Since you're ready, will you start the Subaru? That way it'll be warmed up." Rin headed into Haruka's room to get dressed.

~~~ ๏ ~~~

There was nearly a foot of fresh snow from last night, and the drive to the elementary school was a challenge, but not bad. Haruka looked out the window as they passed out of the hills to the north of town and into the small commercial district. The elementary school was near the library where Rin worked on South Main Street. The river ran through the middle of town, a favorite spot for swimming and ice skating.

"Rin, are there other gay people at school?" Haruka asked quietly. He felt Rin's hand wrap around his and looked back to him. "Do you know any?"

"There's a few. Why?" Rin kissed Haruka's hand and released it, going back to driving. "Are you going to attend the meetings?"

"They have meetings?" Haruka pulled a face.

"Haru, relax. Nobody has to know about us but us. The ones at school are known about because they want to be." Rin took his hand again and squeezed it reassuringly.

"I just don't want anybody to fuck with you. I don't care about me." Haruka looked at Rin's hand and smiled slightly. He lifted their hands up a little. "I kind of like this, though."

"Nice, isn't it?" Rin glanced at him and blushed a little. "I like it, too."

They arrived only a few minutes after Gou and walked over to help her unload the comics. She laughed and took her sunglasses off as they approached. "Oh my gosh, you two look incredible! You're dead ringers for the characters!" She kissed Haruka on the cheek and hugged her older brother. "Thank you so much for doing this."

"He does look good in tights, doesn't he?" Rin teased. Haruka's face darkened and he punched Rin in the shoulder just hard enough to get his attention. "Ow, you big dink. I was kidding." He put his mask on and stuck his tongue out.

Haruka put his mask on and picked up several of the boxes to follow Gou inside. He dreaded the next few hours. Haruka wasn't very fond of kids but for some reason they loved him. He went to a friend's house one time to return a video game and ended up wrestling for an hour on the floor with twin five year olds.

Now, as they went into the school cafeteria / auditorium, his chest tightened and his stomach flopped. He could feel cold sweat on his forehead, and his hands felt clammy. Rin looked up at him and smiled, but as soon as he laid eyes on Haruka's face, he realised that something was wrong.

He set his box of books down and went over to Haruka. "What is it, dude? You okay?" Haruka shook his head a little and held his trembling hand out. "Stage fright?" He asked, and Haruka swallowed and nodded.

Rin led him out into the cool air by the cars. "Just take some deep breaths. You'll be fine. I'm going to be right here the whole time, your faithful side kick."

"God, I'm nervous." Haruka's voice sounded strained.

Rin thumped his new boyfriend's chest lightly with his fist. "Tell you what. I'll give you something else to think about when you start getting nervous, okay?" Haruka nodded, and Rin leaned close to his ear and whispered for several seconds, then licked Haruka's ear.

"Jesus Christ!" Haruka whispered loudly and folded his cape around himself to hide some accidental reactions. "Rin, I'm wearing goddamn near nothing. Don't do that!"

"Not afraid anymore, though, are ya?" Rin flashed a grin and pulled the door open, swatting Haruka's ass as he went by. "Go get 'em, Captain Saturn."

As it turned out, it was a blast. Haruka stood near the small stage in the cafeteria surrounded by clamouring first and second graders signing comic books, and Rin stood facing him not far away with his own crowd. Every now and then Haruka would look up and meet his eyes, and Rin would lick his lips, causing Haruka to blush furiously and look down.

For two hours they met with each of the grades, and with Gou's prompting, Haruka started picking up some of Captain Saturn's lines and knew some of the answers the character would give.

Rin felt his heart swell as he watched Haruka smiling and talking to the kids, and marveled at how well he was doing. The kids loved him and had to hug him as they went by to leave for their classrooms. At eleven, the gym was empty. He watched as his sister and two of the teachers chatted and walked out of the cavernous room and then he walked over to Haruka and held out his fist.

Haruka smiled and exchanged fist bumps with Rin. "Wasn't that freaking sweet? Did you see their faces?"

"I saw yours, ya big mush." Rin shook his head and reached out to gently grip Haruka's shoulder. "I was really proud of you, Haruka. The kids loved you."

"Thanks." They turned and headed for the door. Haruka pulled his mask off and looked at it. "I hate to say it, but I kind of liked this."

"What's wrong with that?" Rin asked. He pulled off his mask and twirled it around his finger.

"My dad never was much on heroes, remember? I thought G.I. Joe was like the coolest guy on earth. I really wanted to be him when I grew up."

"Yeah, I remember." Rin felt anger build up in his stomach. "Your dad bitched you out for imagining shit and told you to get your ass back in reality." He slipped his arm around Haruka's waist as they walked down the hall. "That was messed up, Haru. He shouldn't have done that. Heroes are good for you."

"If I tell you something and you make fun of it, I'll beat your ass, okay?" Haruka said seriously. Rin nodded, and Haruka cleared his throat. "You were kinda my hero. Every time dad kicked my ass or screamed at me, you made me feel better. You always made it okay."

Rin's heart felt a moving wrench, forcing him to swallow before he could speak. He stopped in his tracks and felt his chest hitch. Haruka looked at him, worried, and Rin smiled and shook his head. "I'm okay, Haru." He swallowed again, trying not to cry. "I think that's the best thing anybody's ever told me, man. I mean it." He blinked several times and pointed at the door, embarrassed. "Let's get out of here."

They decided that an event like this offered the opportunity to skip the rest of the school day, so they got in the Subaru to head home. The rain had started, and it was still pretty frigid. The rain had frozen on some parts of the road, making travel just a little risky.

~~~ ๏ ~~~

Rin stopped in front of Haruka's house and put the car in neutral. "Get changed and come over. We can make some soup or sandwiches and play a game or something." He squeezed Haruka's hand quickly. "Hurry, okay?"

"I will." Haruka closed the door and trudged through the snow to his porch. Rin waited until he was inside before driving the rest of the way home. He parked under the carport and ran in the house. Neither of them had worn coats over their thin costumes, and he was freezing.

"I got you two subs on the way home." Gou called as he ran down the stairs to his room. "They're in the fridge, and there's chips and drinks. You had a message from the library. They're closing because of the storm so you don't have to go in tonight."

"Thanks, Sis!" He called back and pulled at his boots. "Are you still going to your book club thing?" Gou played in a club every Thursday afternoon. He reached behind his neck for the zipper and went to the door to listen for the answer.

"Nah, I'm going over Chigusa's for a chemistry study session. Need anything?"

"No. Haruka's staying. We're doing burgers for dinner. We'll cook if you'll stop and get salad stuff." He pulled the front of the suit down around his waist and looked up the stairs at her. "We've got frozen fries. We just need something to go with it."

"I'll stop on the way home. Tell Captain Saturn I said thanks again." She blew him a kiss. "You two were awesome. Stay out of trouble, and don't forget to eat your lunch!" She turned and headed into the kitchen.

~~~ ๏ ~~~

Rin finally got the suit off, nearly falling on the floor in the process, and pulled on some boxers and sweats. He turned on the computer to load while he rummaged for a t-shirt. He heard the door open and close, then open and close again. It was way too early for his parents to get home from their business trip, so it had to be Haruka. "Grab a couple of cokes." He hollered.

Haruka tromped down the stairs and came up behind Rin. He touched the cold can of pop to Rin's neck and made him flinch. "Miss me?" He offered a shit-eating grin.

Rin turned around and rolled his eyes. "For eight minutes? Of course I did." He leaned up and kissed Haruka. "I'm really getting used to that."

"Me too." Haruka chuckled and tossed his coat over the chair. "Can I put the weather channel on? I wanna see what's up with that storm." Haruka found the remote and flopped on the bed. "That zipper was a bitch. I thought I was gonna have to wear it over here and get you to help. Is that too loud?"

"No, that's cool." Rin sat down at the computer and started up the internet, glancing over his shoulder every now and then. He wanted information, and he didn't really want to tell Haruka how he got it.

"Holy shit." Haruka sat up on the end of the bed and pointed at the TV. The weatherman showed several scenes of flooding and cars off the road, commenting that the severity of the cold front hadn't gone down any. "We're gonna get bombed."

Rin found what he was after and read furiously. He'd always had the ability to rapidly digest information, and this went straight to his brain. He flipped to another site and read that, half listening as Haruka described the chaos that was coming later in the evening.

"God, look at this, Rin. There's two semis on their sides in the river in the next town over." Haruka shook his head and took a sip from his can of coke. He kicked off his shoes and slipped back on the bed. "Think they need help doing sandbags and stuff?"

"Maybe." Rin closed down the computer and jumped onto the bed behind Haruka, wrapping his arms around his chest. "If they do, they'll put it on the news." He took the remote and turned off the TV. "We have three hours to ourselves, and I really don't give a shit about the weather." He kissed Haruka and slid his tongue in.

"Me either." Haruka grinned and laid back. He pulled Rin down on top of him and kissed him again, longer and sweeter, gaining confidence. "Did you mean what you said at the school?" He stroked Rin's dark bangs out of his face and tucked them behind his ear.

"Time to find out." Rin gave him a wicked grin and slid his hands up under Haruka's shirt, pushing it up in the process. He leaned down and licked one of Haruka's nipples, causing him to inhale sharply.

"Man, that gave me goose bumps!" Haruka whispered. Rin grinned at him again and licked the other one and sucked on it. "God, that's good."

Rin ran his fingers across the tiny hairs on Haruka's chest and gave small kisses all over. With a slight urging, Haruka sat up just enough to get his shirt off, and Rin continued his work.

Haruka let his hands roam Rin's back, enjoying the feel of every rib and the smoothness of his skin. He got bold and slid his hands under the elastic waistband of Rin's sweats. Rin arched his back and groaned.

"I like that." He said quietly. "Pull my shirt off." Haruka did so, and they held each other afterwards, kissing lovingly. After several minutes, Rin sat up. He was astride Haruka's waist, and he could feel what was happening between them. It was happening to him, too.

"Relax." He said and smiled, then reached down and undid Haruka's belt. "I've been waiting a long time for this." He opened the fly on Haruka's jeans and then looked up, surprised and tickled at the same time. Haruka didn't have any underwear on.

"You told me not to at the school." Haruka's face was red.

Rin chuckled. "I love it when you listen to me," he growled huskily. Rin leaned up and kissed him and then moved to the side. "Lift up." Haruka swallowed hard and did what he was told. Rin quickly slid his pants down and off, unable to take his eyes off Haruka's beautiful cock. It popped right up and was almost seven inches long. There was a fair amount of jet black pubic hair around it, and very little on his legs.

Rin had seen Haruka naked frequently for as long as he could remember, but he couldn't ever remember him looking as beautiful as he did lying there on the bed right this minute. Hesitantly, he reached out and put his hand around it, praying to God that he wasn't dreaming.

Haruka groaned softly as Rin moved his hand up and down. He looked at Haruka's face, and once he saw bliss, he knew he was doing something right. Getting braver, he leaned down and put his mouth over it, doing what the website described, and felt Haruka arch up under him.

"Oh my God!" Haruka hissed. "Jesus, that's so incredible." He pulled at the blanket with his hands and curled his toes.

Rin used his tongue to prod and lick Haruka while he moved his head up and down, keeping rhythm with his hand. It didn't seem very long to him before Haruka groaned loudly and began to move his hips, coming up to meet Rin.

"Oh! Oh God!" Haruka whimpered. A feeling he couldn't describe caused his stomach to knot up, and he half crunched up, pulling the blanket towards him. "Oh! Oh!" His hips moved involuntarily, and he squeezed his eyes shut tight. "Oh, Please!"

Rin was totally unprepared for the power of Haruka's orgasm. It was like trying to take too big a drink and getting fluid in the wrong pipe. Blast after blast hit the back of his throat, and try as he might, he couldn't keep up. Haruka bucked hard again and again, his cock hitting the back of Rin's throat, and he choked and coughed, blowing cum all over Haruka's

legs and stomach.

"Are you okay?" Haruka sat up and lifted his face up. "I'm sorry, I couldn't talk."

"Good." Rin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Tastes funny but I like it." He grinned and punched Haruka in the chest. "I thought you were gonna fucking drown me, though."

"I never had it happen like that." Haruka smiled wistfully and pulled Rin down onto his back. "I never had sex before." He kissed Rin, tasting himself on Rin's tongue. "That is kinda different, ain't it?"

Rin nodded and closed his eyes. He was actually a little winded. "Yeah, but it tastes and smells just like you."

"My turn to find out." Haruka smiled and slid his hands palms up under Rin's ass and pulled his sweats. "I want to see what you taste like." Rin grinned and lifted his hips to make it easier. Haruka tossed the sweats on the floor and ran his eyes from Rin's face to the tip of his toes.

"You are so incredible." He said quietly. Rin was built just as large and as heavily as Haruka; he was cut and had wide shoulders and a square chest. His stomach was perfect, each ab muscle perfectly square, and his cock was almost as long as Haruka's but slightly thinner. Rin had almost no body hair, and his pubic hair was just a bit more than a tuft.

"What did you tell me? Oh yeah, relax." Haruka winked and slid his mouth down over Rin's hard on. For Rin, it was an entirely different experience for both of them. Haruka had to stop frequently and push Rin back down on the mattress. After several minutes and one near laughing fit, he finally wrapped his arms around Rin's waist and used his own body to hold him down.

"Aaaauuugh! Oh!" Rin yelled and curled up around Haruka, his orgasm sending his mind reeling. "Ah! Jesus!" He clutched at Haruka's shoulders and wrapped his legs around his waist and shook as his load convulsed into Haruka's mouth. There were tears in his eyes when he collapsed back onto the pillows, and when Haruka crawled up beside him, Rin wrapped his arms around him and squeezed as hard as he could.

"Easy, Rin. Hey, calm down." Haruka held him and rubbed his back as Rin trembled and cried. "Please don't cry, baby. Please, Rin." Haruka was scared as he tried to look into Rin's eyes.

"I'm okay." Rin sniffed and buried his face in Haruka's strong chest. "Oh, that was so perfect. I love you so much, Haruka, you have no idea." Haruka pulled the covers up over them, and Rin molded himself to Haruka's body.

"I have a pretty good idea. You scared me shitless." Haruka kissed his forehead. "I didn't expect it to upset you like that."

"It didn't upset me." Rin chuckled and swiped at the tears on his cheeks. "I can't describe it. I just love you, okay?"

"Okay." Haruka smiled and kissed him, and then put his head on the pillows, holding Rin close. "I'm kinda worn out. Can I just hold you for a while?" He closed his eyes and sighed, stroking Rin's hair.

"Only 'til hell freezes over." Rin mumbled and drifted off to sleep.

~~~ ๏ ~~~

They woke up almost an hour later to a horrendous thundering noise. It sounded like rocks being dropped on the house when they jolted awake. "What the hell is that?" Rin slid out of bed and ran to the window, pulling the blind up. His jaw dropped. "Oh my God, Haru, look at this!"

Haruka pulled the comforter up around his shoulders and brought it with him, encircling Rin when he got to the window. At first he couldn't believe his eyes. "That's hail." He said in awe. The hailstones landing in the backyard were almost the size of baseballs. They exploded when they hit something solid like concrete, and Haruka looked into the neighbor's yard to see the hail destroying their greenhouse.

"I hope Sis isn't in her car." Rin said quietly and looked at his watch. He looked up at Haruka with worry on his slender features. "I gotta call Sis." He moved out of the blanket and grabbed his sweatpants. "I hope she's still at the mall."

"I'm sure she is. Didn't she say she'd be home for dinner? It's only been two hours." Haruka dumped the comforter on the bed and searched for his jeans. "Don't worry about something that hasn't happened yet!"

"God damn it!" Rin threw the phone at the desk. "The fucking line's dead." He went to his dresser to look for his cell phone.

Haruka shook his head and hung up the phone. Rin was well and widely known for his occasional tempers, and when he was stressed, even a little, he went off like a cork. One of the reasons they had been friends for so long was that Haruka would simply pick Rin up and squeeze him until he quit kicking. Most of the time, Rin hated being picked up and would chill

out. Other times Haruka just let him blow off until he was done.

There was a sudden silence, and they both looked towards the window. The hail stopped as suddenly as it started, and Rin sighed in relief when his cell phone started ringing. The caller ID said it was his sister.

Haruka jogged up the stairs three at a time and made a quick circuit of the house. Nothing was broken that he could see, and he checked all the windows and doors. He stopped in the kitchen for a couple of cokes and looked out the window as the rain started again, much heavier than it was earlier.

"Did you find anything?" Rin came up the stairs holding the cell phone to his ear. He tossed a t-shirt to Haruka. Haruka shook his head and pulled the shirt on. "Nope, there's no damage from the hail. We'll chill out here and wait for you to get home. Love you too. Bye." He turned off the phone and leaned his head against Haruka's chest. "Man, she makes me crazy."

They ate their subs and some chips and waited for Rin's sister. The rain let up for nearly half an hour, then came down harder than ever. Rin looked out through the laundry room window while he folded his clothes, worry nagging at his mind. A while passed before Haruka interrupted his daily dose of Toonami to go check on his companion in the laundry room.

Rin looked up as Haruka came in, and sighed. "Did my cell ring?"

"No." Haruka opened the dryer and threw the coat in. "I would've brought it to you. You need to calm down." He reached up and began to massage Rin's shoulders, his powerful fingers digging into the knotted muscles. "It's just a rainstorm; everyone's fine."

"I know. I wish Sis were home." Rin closed his eyes and leaned back against Haruka. "I hate bad weather."

"Well everyone else loves it, dumbass, what's the matter with you?" Haruka said sarcastically. "C'mon, dope." He propelled Rin out the door.

By six, it was already long past dark outside; Gou had called and told them that the police were routing traffic away from the main part of town because the river was rising, and that she would be home by nine.

Rin sat on the bed in his room reading his American History assignment. Haruka was stretched out behind him lying on his stomach doing his geometry. At the faint sound of the doorbell ringing, Haruka volunteered to answer the door and let Rin continue studying. A moment later, Rin stopped reading and watched the door as he heard Haruka galloping back down the stairs. "There's a guy at the door for you, Rin. He says his name's Nitori."

"Aiichiro?" Rin unfolded his legs and climbed off the bed, heading out of his room and up the stairs with Haruka in tow.

Nitori Aiichiro stood in the front room, his five foot six frame a childish presence. He was on the swimming team with Rin and Haruka at their school. His normally soft silver hair was soaked from the icy rain. Nitori's round face was tight with tension as Rin and Haruka came up the stairs.

"What's up, Nitori? You're drenched, man." Rin stopped and held up his hand to shake.

"My dad called and asked me to hitch the boat up." Nitori ran his hand over his wet hair. "The river is flooding, and they need any boats they can get to pick up stranded people." He jammed his hands in his pockets. "Can you guys help me get the boat out of the driveway? There's a buttload of snow around it."

Rin turned to look at Haruka, who nodded and headed down stairs to get his coat. Rin turned back to Nitori and smiled. "Of course, man. Give me a couple of minutes."

"Thanks, Rin."

"You look like you could use some hot chocolate. Make yourself at home." Rin pushed Nitori towards the kitchen and then turned to go down into his room. Haruka was in the process of tearing through Rin's dresser where he'd had a supply of his own clothes for years. He looked up at Rin and tossed him the Gor-tex turtleneck shirt he wore to go skiing and snowmobile riding.

"Thanks." Rin caught it and dropped it on the bed as he pulled his t-shirt off. "Yours is in the bottom drawer, Haru."

"Think they need help now?" Haruka found the shirt and pulled it on. "I can shovel sand and stuff."

Rin went to the closet for his insulated ski pants. Haruka's were still there as well from the trip they took with Rin's dad two weeks ago. "I'm right beside you, Batman." He tossed the snow pants to Haruka. "I hope the library's okay."

"I hope the bridges from the other side of town are okay." Haruka said and pulled the pants on.

"I hope Sis is okay." Rin looked out the window at the downpour and shook his head. "Rain in December. Who's fucked up idea was that?"

๛

* * *

Remember when Toonami used to air in the late afternoons and not after sunset? Those were the best times ヽ(；▽；)ノ

Also HAHA DICK ENDING

but yeah

basically Rin and Haru live happily ever after and stuff and they grow up to join the misery of every other married couple in the world


End file.
